First 24 Hours of Life Most Dangerous Time for Children in Developing World, Report Finds

Up to 2 Million Children Die Each Year During First Day of Life, According to Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers Report
Simple, Affordable Techniques Could Reduce Deaths by 70 Percent.

Westport, CT (May 9, 2006) - For most children in the developing world, the most dangerous day of their lives is their birthday.

Of more than 10 million children under the age of 5 who die each year, about 1 in 5—an estimated 2 million babies—die within the first 24 hours of life, according to the seventh annual State of the World’s Mothers report issued today by Save the Children, a global independent humanitarian organization. According to the report, an additional 1 million babies die during days 2 through 7. A total of 4 million babies die during the first month of life.

The first hours, days and weeks of a baby’s life are critical. Yet, only a tiny minority of babies in poor countries receive proper heath care during this highly vulnerable period,” said Save the Children President and CEO Charles MacCormack, in issuing the report. “The most simple health measures taken for granted in the United States can mean the difference between life and death for these babies. Low-cost interventions such as immunizing women against tetanus and providing a skilled attendant at birth could reduce newborn deaths by as much as 70 percent if provided universally.”

The report notes that most newborn deaths are the result of preventable or treatable causes such as infections, complications at birth and low birth weight.
“Newborn deaths are one of the world’s most neglected heath problems,” said MacCormack. “While there has been significant progress in reducing deaths among children under age 5 over the past decade, we have made little progress in reducing mortality rates for babies during the first month of life. In fact, newborn deaths are so common in many parts of the developing world that parents put off naming their babies until they are a week to 3 months old.”

Children's Rights

Children are young human beings. Some children are very young human beings. As human beings children evidently have a certain moral status. There are things that should not be done to them for the simple reason that they are human. At the same time children are different from adult human beings and it seems reasonable to think that there are things children may not do that adults are permitted to do. In the majority of jurisdictions, for instance, children are not allowed to vote, to marry, to buy alcohol, to have sex, or to engage in paid employment.

What makes children a special case for philosophical consideration is this combination of their humanity and their youth, or, more exactly, what is thought to be associated with their youth.

One very obvious way in which the question of what children are entitled to do or to be or to have is raised is by asking, Do children have rights?

If so, do they have all the rights that adults have and do they have rights that adults do not have?

If they do not have rights how do we ensure that they are treated in the morally right way?

Most jurisdictions accord children legal rights. Most countries — though not the United States of America — are also signatories of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which was first adopted in 1980. The Convention accords to children a wide range of rights including, most centrally, the right to have their ‘best interests’ be ‘a primary consideration’ in all actions concerning them (Article 3), the ‘inherent right to life’ (Article 6), and the right of a child “who is capable of forming his or her own views … to express these views freely in all matters affecting the child” (Article 12) (United Nations 1989).

However it is normal to distinguish between ‘positive’ rights, those that are recognised in law, and ‘moral’ rights, those that are recognised by some moral theory. That children have ‘positive’ rights does not then settle the question of whether they do or should have moral rights. Indeed the idea of children as rights holders has been subject to different kinds of philosophical criticism At the same time there has been philosophical consideration of what kinds of rights children have if they do have any rights at all. The various debates shed light on both the nature and value of rights, and on the moral status of children.

Child Behavior !!

Child Behavior: What Parents Can Do to Change Their Child's Behavior.

What is normal behavior for a child?

Normal behavior in children depends on the child's age, personality, and physical and emotional development. A child's behavior may be a problem if it doesn't match the expectations of the family or if it is disruptive. Normal or "good" behavior is usually determined by whether it's socially, culturally and developmentally appropriate. Knowing what to expect from your child at each age will help you decide whether his or her behavior is normal.

What can I do to change my child's behavior?

Children tend to continue a behavior when it is rewarded and stop a behavior when it is ignored. Consistency in your reaction to a behavior is important because rewarding and punishing the same behavior at different times confuses your child. When your child's behavior is a problem, you have 3 choices:
· Decide that the behavior is not a problem because it's appropriate to the child's age and stage of development.
· Attempt to stop the behavior, either by ignoring it or by punishing it.
· Introduce a new behavior that you prefer and reinforce it by rewarding your child.

How do I stop misbehavior?
The best way to stop unwanted behavior is to ignore it. This way works best over a period of time. When you want the behavior to stop immediately, you can use the time-out method.


Why shouldn't I use physical punishment

Parents may choose to use physical punishment (such as spanking) to stop undesirable behavior. The biggest drawback to this method is that although the punishment stops the bad behavior for a while, it doesn't teach your child to change his or her behavior. Disciplining your child is really just teaching him or her to choose good behaviors. If your child doesn't know a good behavior, he or she is likely to return to the bad behavior. Physical punishment becomes less effective with time and can cause the child to behave aggressively. It can also be carried too far -- into child abuse. Other methods of punishment are preferred and should be used whenever possible